Cheap Flights to Houston

Houston overview

When to fly:

Houston is a great year-round destination which is large enough to accommodate big events, though you might want to avoid it when a mega-event such as the Super Bowl is on.

The ideal time to take a flight to Houston is early during spring and autumn. In October and at least early November, the weather is often still warm enough for summer clothes but it is less humid. March hosts smaller events for people to enjoy such as The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, one of the most awaited and anticipated annual events in Texas. The event features classic rodeo entertainment such as bareback bronc riding, street wrestling, tie-down roping and chuck wagon racing. Alongside the main attractions of the event, spectators and participants can enjoy live country music shows, carnival festivities, country dancing and much more.

Generally speaking low season in Houston is from July to August and December to January, so these are the best times to find cheap flights to Houston. Most visitors prefer to avoid the hot, humid summer from June until September. If you don't mind the heat, another huge event that can be enjoyed in Houston, and throughout the whole of the USA, is Freedom Over Texas which brings live entertainment and the largest land-based fireworks display in the USA to the area. The American Independence Day, 4th July, is one of the city’s signature events and is another great reason to book a cheap flight to Houston during the summer. It has entertainment which keeps people dancing through a day of bands playing country, jazz, pop and Latin music and a high energy beer market.

Destination overview:

The oil and gas capital of the United States, the fourth-largest city in population and second largest in area, with the first dome stadium, the largest concentration of medical institutions in the world, and of course the foremost space centre — Houston exemplifies the Texas ideals of being the biggest and the best.

Houston is also very attractive, liveable, and fun. There are many parks and smaller green spaces and many unusual public sculptures and fountains. Usually, the first thing visitors notice when they step off their flight to Houston is the in-your-face architecture with no end to the odd juxtaposition of elegant and mundane, functional and whimsical. Buildings show a decided degree of originality: the name of Texas Children’s Hospital is spelled out on its sloping lawn in brightly coloured letters and a Mayan pyramid tops a skyscraper.

Tourists booking flights to Houston shouldn't worry about not having enough activities to keep them busy during their visit; the city has plenty to offer from NASA, the rodeo, museums, the Astrodome to elegant restaurants and barbecue spots. And Houstonians are among the world’s friendliest people. Never hesitate to ask for directions or information; this town, for all its sophistication, still shows the spirit of the frontier days when the pioneers all pitched in to lend a helping hand.

Houston climate

The weather is pleasant from autumn through spring. Summers are very hot and very humid, and in late summer thunderstorms are frequent, occasionally spawning tornadoes. Houston is also vulnerable to hurricanes. Winters are generally mild, but there can occasionally be very sudden cold weather in late autumn and winter, when frigid winds whistle down off the plains.

Getting around Houston

As long as you’re spending most of your Houston time in the centre, you won’t need to rent a car. Houston’s centre and museum district are small and compact, and many hotels have shuttles to help you get around. The city’s public transport system is very good. The Metro has both bus and light rail services. If you do decide to venture out, you’ll want to rent a car. Finding your way around shouldn’t be too difficult. The city is smartly laid out, streets are clearly marked and the roads are well kept. The only trouble you’ll have is with traffic. Houston drivers are notoriously ruthless and fast, and you’ll want to stay off the road during rush hour.

Getting downtown:

Houston insider information

Space Centre Houston is the official visitors’ centre for NASA's Johnson Space Centre. The tram tour and the four-hour tour show you working parts of the space centre, and sometimes you can see astronauts in training. The Astronaut Gallery has a number of actual flight suits and pictures of all astronauts and crews. Films, simulations, and interactive displays give you the feel of being in space. Plan to spend at least half a day. If you take the four-hour tour, consider a full day.

The Houston Museum of Natural Science has excellent permanent exhibits (including good dinosaurs, a planetarium, and a Foucault pendulum) and often has outstanding travelling exhibits. The star attraction is the rainforest environment in the Butterfly Collection, with hundreds of butterflies eating, flying, or resting (sometimes on you).

The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), near the science museum, has an admirable permanent collection, including a sculpture garden, and also hosts outstanding travelling exhibits. It’s worth visiting just for the architecture, a mixture of early 20th century traditional and outstanding modern, including two additions by Mies van der Rohe.

Now part of the MFAH, Bayou Bend is a wonderful museum house set in 14 acres of lovely garden. It showcases the American antiques, some as old as the 1600s, collected by Miss Ima Hogg. (Yes, it’s pronounced “I’m a hog.” The tour explains how her father, Governor Jim Hogg, did that to her — and also that she did not have a sister called Ura; that’s just a Texas tall tale.)

East Texas has similar terrain to Louisiana, and Houston has several bayous, watercourses that are quite deep and narrow, except during heavy rains. At places like Bayou Bend, they are a lovely part of the natural environment. In central Houston, they have sloping concrete banks to reduce flooding, but they are still sometimes home to wildlife such as shore birds like herons or even the occasional alligator.

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo takes place in late February and early March. But there are also other rodeo and livestock-related events throughout the year.

Galveston, an hour’s drive from Houston, is a small beach resort town. In addition to the beaches, its attractions include the Victorian buildings in the historic district.